Oman

It was in the early 1970s that Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said began modernising the telecommunications industry by establishing regulatory bodies and encouraging investment in infrastructure and services. Oman’s telecommunications has come far since then – today, the sultanate boasts high mobile penetration, expanding 4G long-term evolution (LTE...

As a result of being heavily dependent on oil resources, the sultanate of Oman has actively pursued development that focuses on diversification, industrialisation and privatisation, with the objective of reducing the oil sector’s contribution to GDP to 9% by 2020.

The retail market in Oman differs from that of the majority of its Gulf neighbours, with a less concentrated urban population and lower per-capita GDP. Furthermore, the majority of the country’s workforce is private-sector-based, which is not the case for other Gulf countries, where the bulk of nationals are employed directly by the government...

Major investments in schools and universities have highlighted Oman’s commitment to revamping its education system according to the needs of a diversified, knowledge-based economy. The government has spearheaded initiatives targeting higher education, vocational programmes and research facilities. As part of Oman’s eighth five-year plan (2011-15...

While government policy has been the key driver of growth in Oman’s transportation sector, decision-makers have also encouraged public-private partnerships (PPPs) and other forms of private sector involvement in transportation developments. The sultanate has attracted several foreign investors to its infrastructure projects, and is set to see...

Looking to support its movement towards the non-oil export market, Oman has built strong economic partnerships. As a member of the World Trade Organisation, the Greater Arab Free Trade Area, the GCC, the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and the bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) with the US, Oman has developed a robust network that enables...